Life in the Spirit // Romans 8:5-11

Stephen Demsich

Romans 8 • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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INTRO

1The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lordand set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones.

2And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry.

3And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.”

4Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.

5Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.

6And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

7So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.

8And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them.

9Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”

10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

11Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’

12Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel.

13And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.

14And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”

INTRO

When I was growing up, I had an early interest in all things medical or medicine related. Some of my favorite books were books about first aid and anatomy.

God in his wisdom and sovereignty, has a plan for his people. God intends for (and is worthy of) all peoples to worship, to take joy and delight in, treasure, be in awe of himself. God has chosen for himself a people: he saves them, he sanctifies them, and God’s people will be glorified as they dwell in His presence forever.

Isaiah 43:18–21 (ESV)

18“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.

19Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

20The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people,

21the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.

Salvation is described in various ways in the bible.

· Justification — We have been saved (penalty of sin) 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 3:4-5

· Sanctification — We are being saved (power of sin) 2 Cor. 2:15; Phil. 2:12-13

· Glorification — We shall be saved (presence of sin) Rom. 13:11; Eph. 1:14

We have seen justification in Romans 8:1-4. When a person looks to Christ in faith, they are justified (DECLARED RIGHTEOUS). There is no condemnation for those in Christ alone by faith alone, all because God is totally gracious to sinners like me and like you.

Sinclair Ferguson writes, “Sanctification—making someone holy—is the work which God does to separate his people what they were by nature in sin, and to transform them so that their lives reflect his own being and character…. Sanctification is God setting us apart for himself. As saints we have already been sanctified by him. Then, he gradually transforms us so that we begin to reflect his attributes and attractiveness.”

Being made right with God, our sins being forgiven, being declared right with God, our relationship with him restored, being adopted into God’s family – all of these are ours IN CHRIST. They depend not on works, human wills, or exertions, but God who is rich in grace and free in mercy.

This is important distinction because our sanctification, our being made more in holy, sharing in God’s holiness does not make us right with him, but instead flows from God who through Christ has made us new.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

In Romans 8:5-11, we will see sanctification and glorification.

READ TEXT: Romans 8:5-11 then PRAY

Proposition: 3 Vital Signs/Signs of Life every believer is given at the moments of their salvation.

1. A New Mind (v. 5-6) God Gives His People a New Mindset for HOLINESS

Romans 8:5–6 (ESV) 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

A. The Old Mindset — According to the FLESH

Paul has just finished saying all the freedom, righteousness, and victory that Jesus secured at Calvary are for those “walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” V.4 This describes two kinds of people, the core of your life, reality, existence is that of either the flesh, or the Spirit.

One’s walk or pattern of life has a source and origin (think of when the bible talks about “the heart” 1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV) 7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lordlooks on the heart.”)This is also related to Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6:21 (ESV) 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

What fills and preoccupies your mind? When you have a moment where nothing is going on, and your thoughts can just drift, where do they end up? What demands the most of your concentration and mental attention throughout the day? To “set the mind” means “to ponder, dwell on, keep thinking about, to fix one’s attention” This word describes intentional choices being made – the thinking, affections, and volition are all involved here.

The mind of the flesh is concerned primarily, and exclusively with the things of the world. The cares and concerns of this life only. This includes sinful thinking, (lust, anger, despair, resentment). The mind of the flesh is best understood by what is missing: there is no thought of God. God is completely absent from their decision making, no affections for God’s character, no consideration of God self-revelation in Christ and the bible. It is the opposite of Jesus’ command in Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Paul’s CONTRAST is between the FLESH and THE SPIRIT NOT the SPIRITUAL.There are many people who would call themselves “spiritual” but not identify themselves with the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims would all call themselves spiritual but regard no worship of Christ Jesus. Paul dealt with this same thinking in Athens, Acts 17:22–23 (ESV)

22So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.” Paul then teaches them God is our Creator, everyone was made to know God to seek Him, and God will judge all through the God-Man Jesus. Some mocked, some said maybe later, and some believed in Christ. (v.24-34)

External religious actions, attending church, membership, reading the Bible, partaking of the Lord’s table or baptism do not mean necessarily that you are one “who live[s] according to the Spirit [and] set[s] their minds on the things of the Spirit.” Nor are such actions irrelevant or unnecessary for the Christian life. They are, however, insufficient to, like Pastor Bryan says, “bear up the weight of your soul.” Our salvation is based on work – just not ours.

Our salvation, all of it, our justification, sanctification, and glorification, are all built on Christ and Him crucified. He bought our salvation—paid in full—when he said, “it is finished”! Christ’s work becomes mine when I turn from all my sin, my rebellion and self-righteousness, and trust in him!

We must also here note that Romans 8:5 (ESV) “those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.” Does not mean that your thoughts are on God exclusively or exhaustively. That would be impossible! I would be a terrible bus driver if I could not or would not think about/focus on traffic, the bus route, students getting off at the correct bus stop. To set the mind of the things of the Spirit instead means that all my thinking and focus, desires and decisions are filtered through, and in the light of, heaven and eternity!

Colossians 3:1–4 (ESV) 1If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

TRANSITION: If we are in Christ, then out thinking is made new. We are given…

B. OUR NEW MINDSET – Empowered by the HOLY SPIRIT

Romans 8:6 (ESV) 6For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

God the Holy Spirit has one chief aim in his ministry in us: the glory, exaltation, and praise of Jesus Christ. The Spirit’s works in the life of believers is to make us holy—to conform us into the image of Christ. The flesh wants no such thing. The pronouncement from Paul here is clear: either life or death. The flesh is spiritually dead toward God. (cf. Rom. 3:9-20)

Jesus says in John 6:63 (ESV)

63It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

And a little bit later, Jesus says in John 16:13-16 (ESV)

13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

14He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

15All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

16“A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.”

As we are made holy, as we are being remade to love and enjoy God supremely. God is glorified, Christ is worshipped, His word is obeyed, His people say no to sin and mortify their sin nature. The Spirit gives new birth, that is, regeneration. Then the Holy Spirit continues to work in us until we are with God face to face, beholding his glory free from sin.

The means by which the Spirit works in us is through the Word of God. The Spirit inspired the word, and thus it is fitting for the word to be his instrument of transforming us. As we take in God’s word, through the ordinary means of reading, hearing the word preached, studying, meditating, memorizing, the Holy Spirit brings the word of God into our minds and hearts (cf. Jn. 14:26) How does this all work together?

John Owen wrote, “The Holy Spirit makes Christ glorious in our eyes. And he is given to the us so that, as Christ’s people, we might bring honor to our glorious head.”

· The Spirit helps us to truly know Christ “the Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2:8)

· The Spirit helps us to trust Christ, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colo. 2:3)

· The Spirit leads us to humble ourselves before Christ and confess, “Jesus is Lord!” (1 Cor. 12:3)

· The Spirit strengthens us while we wait for Christ to be revealed, “the King of Kings and Lord of lords” (1 Tim. 6:15)

· The Spirit is working in us now through the word, to prepare us to worship in heaven, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev. 5:12)

Do you long to see Christ in this way and with ever increasing clarity?

The Holy Spirit gives us faith, to see Christ as he is revealed in the scriptures, and then transforms our hearts, desires, and actions to rightly treasure Jesus as he truly is. Spiritual death or Spiritual life and peace? I pray that everyone listening to this message would choose life – to look to Jesus and live. The higher we behold Christ, the happier we will be in him.

We are not only given a new mindset, but secondly,

2. A NEW MOTIVE (v. 7-9a) God gives his people a new passion for HOLINESS

Romans 8:7–9 (ESV)

7For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.

8Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

A. There was a SELF-CENTERED Motive

The mind of the flesh is described here in strong language. When Paul says that “the mind that is set on the flesh is death” (NIV says “governed” instead) this is the kind of death in mind. To live according to the flesh, worldliness and sinfulness is to find yourself at odds with God our Creator. God is good, holy, just, and righteous. Hostile (ἔχθρα échthra) means , “enmity or hatred” If your mind is set on the flesh, if you are walking or living according to the flesh, it is to God as hatred. (cf. Psalm 14) One writer described this word as “It is the opposite of agape, ‘love.’” We could say that the mind of the flesh is completely against God and totally consumed, in love with the self. Job described this kind of ungodly mindset saying,

Job 21:13–15 (ESV) “13They [the wicked, ungodly person] spend their days in prosperity, and in peace they go down to Sheol. 14They say to God, ‘Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of your ways. 15What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit do we get if we pray to him?’”

This might take a variety of forms, such as pride, anxiety (despair and worry), fear of others, fear of death. Such a mindset would be consumed with love for self, pleasures of the world, greediness, laziness.

The mind of the flesh fundamentally rejects God and his word. God’s law is the reflection and revelation of his holiness, righteousness, and character. To disobey God’s word is to disobey God himself, which is exactly what happened in the garden of Eden in Genesis 3.

Not only does the mind of the flesh rebel against God and his word, but it is totally unable to obey. This inability is a moral inability, not a natural one. Because man’s heart and mindset are so totally in rebellion against God, they are completely unable to obey God or please Him. There is no faith in God, no trust in, reliance upon, or treasuring of God supremely. (Cf. Rom. 1:18-32) The writer of Hebrews says,

Hebrews 11:6 (ESV) “6And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

Before we move on, let’s pause and reflect. This mindset, this motivation either used to describe you, or it currently describes you. Remember we started in Isaiah 43:20, God says that the wild beasts, jackals, and ostriches will honor him. Creation is a clear witness that we have a Creator and are accountable to Him. And yet, I used to be me! The wild beasts humbly worship God, but that was not always me. I was once God’s enemy. I hated God. I rejected and despised his word.

Romans 5:10 (ESV) 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Were it not for God, and his mercy and sovereign grace shown to me, this is where I would be today.

This leads us to our better motive to live by

B. There is now a Christ-centered Motive

The Spirit-led Christian gets to live a life for the glory of God. Instead of hostility with God we have peace with God through Jesus Christ and faith in him alone (cf. Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:16) The Holy Spirit motivates us in the light of the infinite worthiness of Christ to obey his word. Not only does the Spirit-filled, regenerated believer want to do these things, but they are empowered and enabled to do so! The Spirit (like we saw in Romans 8:1-4) gives us a new heart, which delights in God and obedience to him.

Where the fleshly minded person disregards God, the Spirit-minded person says, “Jesus is everything to me! I want to please my King, my Lord, my God.”

1 Corinthians 1:30–31 (ESV)

30And because of him [God] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

John Piper writes, “Being happier in God than you are in anything else is the key to holiness and fruitfulness to the glory of God.”

As the Spirit works in us to see Christ as all-glorious and satisfying, we are led not only to obey him but enjoy him more and more. The Spirit not only motivates us to glorify God and worship, but we are led to love and serve one another, as God’s people.

Transition: God has given to his children (1) A New Mind, (2) A New Motive, and thirdly,

3. A NEW MASTER (v. 9b-11) – God gives HIMSELF for our HOLINESS

Romans 8:9–11 (ESV)

9You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

10But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

11If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

A. Once DEAD in SIN

Verse 9 serves as the hinge point for this text. Paul makes this statement of the Roman Christians that though they were once dead in sin (cf. Eph. 2:1-3) and enslaved to sin, now they are something new.

Romans 6:22–23 (ESV)

22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The presence and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives should give every believer assurance that they belong to God. You used to be of the flesh like in verses 5-8, but now, God has given you his Spirit to dwell in you.

B. Now INDWELT by the HOLY SPIRIT

Paul says three times that the Spirit “dwells in you.” The word dwell means “to reside, inhabit, or occupy” God has set a people apart for himself to worship him forever. There is no longer a need for a physical or earthly tabernacle because God has filled us with his Spirit. (cf. 1 Cor. 3:16)

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (ESV)

19Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

To have the Holy Spirit means that we belong to God! Such a truth should humble us and comfort us. The Holy Spirit gives us assurance of the love of God for us.

Romans 5:5b (ESV)

5 God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

· The Holy Spirit also comforts us

· The Holy Spirit leads us

There is a close connection between the work of Christ and the work of the Spirit in verse 9. God has always intended to finish the work he has started. (cf. Phil. 1:6) The Father elects, the Son atones, and the Spirit regenerates and applies the work of Christ to us. God the Father has sent the Son to bear God’s wrath and to fulfill all righteousness. God is so committed to his own glory, that not only has he sent Christ, to bear the righteous wrath of God and atone for our sin, but God has given us the Holy Spirit, to make us more like Christ and to prepare us for glory.

John Calvin wrote, “wherever the Spirit reigns, it is an evidence of the saving grace of God.”

Because sin remains, and all of creation is fallen in sin, all will face death, even believers. (Our bodies are dead because of sin) But if you are in Christ, sin and death will not have the final word! The Holy Spirit connects us to the finished work of Christ on the cross and his resurrection! Since Christ has been raised, so will I.

1 John 3:2 (ESV)

2Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

Ezekiel 37:21–28 (ESV)

21then say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land.

22And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms.

23They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

24“My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes.

25They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever.

26I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore.

27My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

28Then the nations will know that I am the Lordwho sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.”

SUMMARY: Three Signs of Life that God gives to every believer at the moment of their salvation:

1. A New Mind

2. A New Motive

3. A New Master

APPLICATION

· What is your mindset? IS your mind set on the things of the flesh or the Spirit?

· How has God changed your thinking?

· What is your next step as you joyfully obey Jesus?

PRAYER

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